Migrants sit on the Italian Navy patrol ship Spica, as they arrive at the Sicilian harbour of Pozzallo, February 15, 2015. (Reuters/Antonio Parrinello) / Reuters

Asylum seekers in Italy must work for free rather than do nothing, believes the interior minister. His statement created a social media frenzy, with some users saying it would be going back to the times of slavery.

"We must ask the
municipalities to apply our directive and make migrants work for
free... Rather than leave them with nothing to do, they should
make them work," Angelino Alfano said,citedthe Italian media.

His ideas were echoed in a statement from the Interior Ministry's
civil and immigration rights chief Mario Morcone, who said that
the migrants should be working for "the public good,"
such as for environmental projects. Thus, they will only have to
need to cover for their insurance.

"The idea is to create a better rapport, and more
acceptance" in society, he said on Italian TV.

Until they are officially recognized as refugees, asylum seekers
have no right to work in Italy.

The statement from Alfano comes amid growing tensions in Italy
over a massive inflow of asylum seekers from African countries,
mostly from Libya.

On Wednesday Valle d’Aosta, a region in northwest Italy refused
to take more asylum seekers. Earlier Lombardy and Veneto refused
emergency accommodation to migrants, after a request was
submitted by the Interior Ministry.

Rome has on numerous occasions said it barely has enough
resources to deal with the migrant crisis. The situation is
becoming an EU-wide concern, with Brussels facing mounting
pressure from human rights groups over its tackling of the
migrant influx from across the Mediterranean.

UN repeatedly condemned the treatment of asylum seekers in Italy,
describing it as “unacceptable.”

About 50,000 refugees have entered Europe by sea this year, with
some 30,000 coming via Italy. The latest UN figures claim that
around 1,800 people have drowned this year crossing to Europe
from Libya.

On Monday almost 6,800 migrants were picked up from Mediterranean
waters over the weekend, Italy’s coastguard said, in what has
become the biggest rescue operation this year. At least 10 people
died as thousands attempted to cross from Libya.

Italy has a high level of illegal immigration. The wave of
migrants from Africa have intensified since the EU and US-led
military campaign that resulted in the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi
in 2011 in Libya and left the country in shambles. The asylum
seekers come from several different countries.